In a 2023 article, ChatGPT Writes Murder, I explored how well OpenAI‘s Artificial Intelligence application could write original murder and mystery prose. As it turns out, not very well. Has ChatGPT improved in the year since? Where possible, I’ve input the exact same prompts in the exact same order to see what’s improved… or not. This is all being done with the public, freely available version. So, here we go…
ChatGPT Writes Murder–New York Gothic?
The initial prompt was based on a novel I was supposed to have finished this year, but haven’t even started. With that in mind, I was curious how different a new version of the same prompt would be, if at all.
PROMPT (2023): A man is murdered in New York, found stabbed, with the doors of his apartment locked. Come up with a story for how he was killed.
ChatGPT (2024): “The Locked Door Mystery”
It was a cold winter night in New York City, and the streets outside were coated with a fresh layer of snow. Inside a modest apartment building in the Lower East Side, the scene was anything but serene. In apartment 3B, a man named Robert “Rob” Keller, a 34-year-old financial analyst, lay dead on the floor, a single knife wound in his chest. His body was found by his neighbor, Sarah, who had gone to check on him after he failed to return her calls for several days.
The apartment was locked from the inside, with the windows sealed and no signs of forced entry. The front door was bolted, and the only key to the apartment was in Rob’s possession, or so it seemed. The door had not been tampered with in any way.
The initial investigation revealed that Rob had a quiet, uneventful life—no known enemies, no history of violence or criminal activity. His colleagues at the firm described him as an introvert, someone who kept to himself but was reliable and dedicated to his work. His apartment was sparse, with only a few personal belongings scattered around—a couple of framed photos, a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table, and some mail stacked neatly by the door. Nothing seemed out of place, except for the murder.
Detective Lena Gomez, known for her sharp mind and meticulous attention to detail, was called in to investigate. She immediately began her work, scanning the room for any clues. She noticed something odd: a subtle, fresh scratch on the wooden floor beneath the couch, as though something heavy had been moved recently. When she lifted the couch, there was a hidden compartment beneath it, where a small, velvet-lined box was carefully stashed away.
Inside the box was a set of keys—three keys, to be precise. One was labeled with a number “4”—it matched the apartment number of his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Carter, a woman who had not been in touch with Rob for months. Gomez’s instincts told her there was more to the story than met the eye.
Further investigation revealed that Rob had been involved in a tumultuous, on-and-off relationship with Lisa. Though they had broken up six months ago, they had continued to see each other in secret. Rob had been trying to distance himself from her, but Lisa had been persistent, even going so far as to borrow his apartment key.
Gomez dug deeper and discovered that, in the days leading up to the murder, Lisa had been increasingly agitated. Rob had told her he was moving on, starting to date someone else. Lisa, devastated by the news, began stalking him, showing up at his workplace unannounced, sending frantic texts, and even breaking into his apartment to search for evidence of his new relationship.
The final piece of the puzzle came when Gomez interviewed the building’s janitor. He revealed that he had seen a woman enter Rob’s apartment late one night, a woman who was wearing a distinctive red scarf. When Gomez showed him a photo of Lisa, the janitor confirmed she was the one he had seen.
It all came together: the murder was a crime of passion. Lisa, in a fit of jealousy and rage, had gone to Rob’s apartment after he rejected her one final time. Using her key, she let herself in. After a heated argument, she grabbed the kitchen knife, stabbing him in a violent outburst. In the struggle, Rob attempted to lock the door to prevent her from leaving, but she overpowered him.
The key to the locked apartment, however, wasn’t just the one she used to enter—it was the secret key hidden beneath the couch, the key she had used to escape and to lock the door behind her. The scene was staged to look like an impossible crime, but it was simply an act of calculated revenge.
Lisa thought she had gotten away with it, but Detective Gomez’s sharp eye for detail led her to uncover the truth. With Lisa’s key to the apartment and the scratches on the floor pointing to a struggle, it all came to light. The locked-door mystery was solved, and Lisa was arrested, her motive clear—a woman scorned, driven to murder by betrayal and rejection.
ChatGPT (2023):
It was a dark and stormy night in New York City when a man was found brutally murdered in his apartment. The victim, a young businessman named John, had been stabbed multiple times and left for dead in his locked apartment…
See the full 2023 version here.
So? Well, the 2024 version isn’t great, but it is better than the 2023 version. There are still cliches, such as ‘a woman scorned’ but fewer of them. The prose overall is a little cleaner. What stands out the most is (a) the staggering lack of creativity–this is an old, boring story told without flair and (b) the continued lack of factual consistency. No one has any idea if a door is locked from the inside or not, unless that’s the only way to lock it or there’s video, etc., and the killer couldn’t have gotten in without a key, so the key under the couch was of no consequence. Overall, very disappointing, especially with the stalking cliche, and capped with a superfluous closing paragraph that adds words but no value or meaning.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Gender Flip
For the next step, just as before, I tried flipping the genders of victim and killer, just to see if it would be less cliched. I also tried to make the story more interesting by getting rid of the spare key cheat.
PROMPT: Please rewrite this story with a female victim and male killer, updating accordingly, and assuming the killer did NOT have a spare key.
ChatGPT (2024): “The Locked Door Mystery”
It was a biting winter night in New York City when the police were called to a tragic scene. In an apartment building on the Upper West Side, a woman named Rachel Adams, a 29-year-old freelance journalist, was found dead in her apartment. She had been stabbed once in the chest, and though there was blood on the floor, the apartment appeared untouched. The doors were locked, the windows sealed, and there were no signs of forced entry. It was as if someone had committed the perfect crime and disappeared into thin air.
Rachel’s neighbor, Emma, had come to check on her after she hadn’t answered any of her calls for the past few days. The apartment was locked from the inside, and nothing seemed to be missing. There was no struggle, no signs of a break-in. But Rachel was dead, and the lock on the door was in place.
Detective Noah Mitchell, known for his sharp instincts and no-nonsense approach, was called in to investigate. The scene was puzzling—nothing about the crime suggested a typical burglary gone wrong or a random attack. The only clue was the single stab wound, deep and precise, suggesting the killer knew exactly what they were doing. Rachel had been a quiet, reserved woman, not involved in any conflicts that the neighbors knew of. She was a well-regarded journalist, dedicated to her work, but there had been no reports of threats or enemies.
As Mitchell sifted through the apartment, he noticed a few unusual things. Rachel’s desk was neatly organized, with her work neatly stacked, and her laptop open to a half-written article. On the kitchen counter, there was a nearly empty bottle of red wine, as though she had been planning to unwind but was interrupted. Nothing seemed out of place, except for one thing—her cell phone, which had been placed deliberately on the table, face-up. The last text message was from a man named Greg Walker.
Greg was a former college boyfriend, someone Rachel had dated briefly but had ended things with months ago. Her friends had described him as possessive and jealous, someone who struggled to let go of their past relationship. The more Mitchell dug into Greg’s history, the more he found signs of obsessive behavior, including a series of messages Rachel had received from him in the days leading up to her death.
Despite their breakup, Rachel had agreed to meet Greg for coffee just a few days before she died. She had hoped to talk things through, to provide closure for him. But after that meeting, she had become increasingly uneasy. Greg had started showing up at her apartment unannounced, texting her constantly, and even leaving voicemails begging for another chance. It seemed he couldn’t let go of their past.
Mitchell soon learned that Greg had been in the area that night, though he claimed he had been at home. But there was something strange about his alibi—his phone had pinged a nearby tower around the time of Rachel’s death. When the detective spoke to a building superintendent, he learned that the security camera in the lobby had malfunctioned on the night of the murder, but the janitor mentioned seeing someone leaving the building at around 10 p.m. The person, the janitor said, was carrying something that looked like a large bag. It was too dark to make out the face, but Mitchell’s gut told him it was Greg.
Digging deeper into the case, Mitchell discovered that Greg had no spare key to Rachel’s apartment. In fact, he had never had one. But it didn’t matter—he didn’t need one. Greg knew exactly where to find the spare key Rachel had kept in a hidden compartment by her door. It was something she had told a few close friends about, in case she ever got locked out. Greg had figured this out months ago, and it was all he needed to carry out his plan.
On the night of Rachel’s murder, Greg had let himself into her apartment using the spare key. He knew she would be alone, and he was desperate. The breakup had never sat well with him, and his obsession had turned to anger. When he entered Rachel’s apartment, she was sitting at her desk, unaware of his arrival. The confrontation began with words, a heated argument over their failed relationship. But soon, the anger turned violent. Greg grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Rachel in a fit of rage. The blow was quick and precise, taking her life before she even had a chance to defend herself.
ChatGPT (2023):
It was a dark and stormy night in New York City when a woman was found brutally murdered in her apartment. The victim, a young businesswoman named Jane, had been stabbed multiple times and left for dead in her locked apartment…
See the full 2023 version here.
So? Zzzzz… The 2024 version is a little less cliched, but wordier and less interesting, with even more redundancy. Add that to unfounded speculation and a complete failure to eliminate the spare key cheat. The problems with factual and logical consistency remain, so, bleh.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Cliches?
Now, let’s see if ChatGPT is aware of any of its flaws…
PROMPT (2023): Why did you start with, “It was a dark and stormy night?”
Obviously, I couldn’t use this prompt because the 2024 version was less cliched, so I stayed as close as possible, with:
PROMPT (2024): Why did you start with, “It was a biting winter night?”
ChatGPT (2024):
I started with “It was a biting winter night” to set a tone for the story, evoking a cold, harsh atmosphere that contrasts with the warmth and safety of an ordinary home. This kind of setting helps build a sense of unease, emphasizing that something unsettling is about to happen. The weather and environmental details in a mystery or crime story can help shape the mood and make the scene feel more ominous or foreboding. If you’d prefer a different tone or starting point, I can adjust it to suit your preferences!
ChatGPT (2023):
“It was a dark and stormy night” is a phrase commonly used in literature and storytelling to set a mysterious, ominous tone for the events that are about to unfold. It’s a cliche phrase used for dramatic effect. It’s often used to establish a sense of foreboding and to create an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue. The phrase is often used as an opening sentence, to make the reader feel like something bad is going to happen in the story.
So? I like the 2024 version much more, and the rationale seems less like “because I wanted to and so does everyone else.” That’s movement in the right direction, which means the model is evolving toward writing better prose and plots, but it still has a long way to go.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Slice by Slice
This prompt was about a specific way of killing someone, for brainstorming purposes. I already know how the murder happens, but was curious what ChatGPT would come up with as alternatives, new twists, etc. As it turns out… it came up with nothing.
PROMPT: A boy is found murdered in the same city. His body has been cut into a hundred precise slices, but there is very little blood and he is found dead in his home. Write a story about how he was killed.
ChatGPT (2024):
This content may violate our usage policies.
ChatGPT (2023):
It was a cold and gloomy morning in New York City when a boy was found brutally murdered in his home. The victim, a young high school student named Jack, had been sliced into a hundred precise pieces and left for dead in his bedroom.
According to the police, the boy’s parents reported finding him dead when they returned home from work, they were shocked and devastated. They immediately called the police and emergency services.
When the police arrived at the scene, they found the boy’s body arranged in a gruesome pattern on his bed. He had been cut into a hundred precise slices, but there was very little blood on the scene. The room was locked from the inside and there was no sign of forced entry…
See the full 2023 version here.
So? This–rejection of my prompt for ToS reasons–is actually an important result. It appears that ChatGPT is generally more restricted now on outputs by topic than it was in 2023. This might make it safer for users and shareholders, but renders it far less useful for writers.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Next Sections
Can’t replicate due to content policies. In 2023, there were no such issues.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Other Ways to Kill
Due to these content policy issues, I had to change the prompt here from one based on the prior story about ‘murdery laserbots’ to a generic question about other ways to kill in a murder mystery.
PROMPT (2024): Please list three alternative ways a child might be killed in a murder mystery, with pros and cons.
In fiction, especially in murder mysteries, handling the death of a child requires sensitivity, as it can deeply impact readers. The method chosen should align with the story’s tone and purpose, avoiding gratuitous or exploitative depictions. Here are three possible alternatives, along with their pros and cons:
1. Poisoning
Example: A child drinks a tainted beverage or consumes poisoned candy.
Pros:
- Subtle and stealthy, allowing for intricate plotting and red herrings.
- Reflects calculated intent, adding layers to the story (e.g., was the child targeted, or was it an accident?).
- Fits well into traditional whodunits or psychological mysteries.
Cons:
- Can feel overused in classic mysteries.
- Requires careful justification to avoid seeming implausible or overly convenient (e.g., why poison? Why the child?).
2. Accidental Fall or “Staged Accident”
Example: A child is pushed off a staircase or cliff, but it’s made to look like an accident.
Pros:
- Creates ambiguity: was it an accident, murder, or negligence?
- Generates emotional tension as characters wrestle with guilt or suspicion.
- Visually dramatic and impactful in storytelling.
Cons:
- Risk of being seen as a plot device rather than an organic event.
- Less suitable for fast-paced mysteries.
3. Suffocation or Smothering
Example: The child is smothered with a pillow or trapped in a confined space.
Pros:
- Dark and intimate, conveying a deeply personal motive.
- Works well for emotionally charged plots (e.g., revenge, jealousy, or twisted love).
- Allows for clues like fingerprints or fibers to aid investigation.
Cons:
- May be too emotionally distressing for some audiences.
- Limited by its lack of spectacle compared to other methods, requiring strong character dynamics to compensate.
Final Thoughts
- Each method offers unique storytelling opportunities, but it’s critical to treat the subject with gravity and purpose.
- Consider focusing more on the mystery, motives, and aftermath rather than the explicit act itself to maintain the reader’s engagement while being sensitive to the topic.
PROMPT (2023): Please list three alternative ways the child might have been killed, with pros and cons from the perspective of a murder mystery.
Poisoning: The child could have been killed by poisoning their food or drink. The pro of this method is that it would be difficult to detect and the killer could potentially avoid leaving any physical evidence. The con is that it would be harder to pin down a specific suspect, as anyone could have access to the poison…
See the full 2023 version here.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Slicing Things Differently
I couldn’t replicate this due to the preceding content changes and limitations. The original prompt was:
ME (2023): Sorry, let me clarify. The victim is found the same way–cut into 100 slices. You’ve suggested robot lasers and surgical knives. What are three additional options, with pros and cons?
ChatGPT 2023:
Industrial Guillotine: The child could have been killed using an industrial guillotine. The pro of this method is that it would allow the killer to make precise cuts, similar to those found on the victim’s body, and it could be done quickly. The con is that industrial guillotines are large and noisy equipment, so it would be difficult for the killer to use it without being noticed, and it would also be relatively easy to trace the weapon back to the killer…
See the full 2023 version here.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Forensic Methods
Now we turn to forensic methodology, which shouldn’t have any of the content issues of the earlier prompts.
PROMPT: Describe in detail the standard process for collecting and testing blood samples at a murder scene.
ChatGPT (2024): “Standard Process for Collecting and Testing Blood Samples at a Murder Scene”
When a murder occurs and blood is involved, the collection and testing of blood samples are crucial for both determining the cause of death and identifying potential suspects. Blood can provide a wealth of information, including the victim’s blood type, the killer’s DNA, the position and movement of the victim, and even the weapon used. The process is highly methodical and must follow strict protocols to preserve the integrity of the evidence. Below is a detailed outline of the standard process for collecting and testing blood samples at a murder scene.
1. Securing the Scene. Before any evidence collection begins, law enforcement officers and forensic teams must secure the crime scene to ensure that no evidence is contaminated or disturbed. This involves:
- Establishing a perimeter around the scene and limiting access to authorized personnel.
- Marking the area where blood is found and ensuring that it is photographed before any collection occurs.
- Preserving the chain of custody, meaning that every individual handling the evidence will be recorded to maintain its integrity for legal proceedings.
2. Documentation. The first step in collecting blood samples is thorough documentation. Investigators and forensic teams will:
- Photograph the crime scene in detail, focusing on the location and pattern of the blood.
- Sketch the scene to show the blood’s distribution and any potential spatter patterns, which could indicate the position of the victim or the force of the attack.
- Measure the bloodstains and note the condition of the blood (whether it’s wet, dried, smeared, etc.), as this can provide clues to the time of death.
3. Blood Sample Collection. Once the scene is documented, forensic specialists begin the collection process. Care is taken to avoid contamination and to preserve the blood’s integrity for later testing.
- a. Identifying Blood Stains
- Passive stains: These include pools, drops, and smears of blood where gravity is the primary force at play. They can provide clues as to where the victim was during the attack and whether they moved or were restrained.
- Transfer stains: These occur when the victim or perpetrator touches a surface, leaving a blood print. This could be from a hand or weapon.
- Impact stains: Resulting from the force of a weapon, these include patterns like spatters or splashes. The size and distribution can help determine the nature of the attack.
- b. Sample Collection
- Swabbing: A sterile cotton or gauze swab is used to collect liquid blood from surfaces. Swabbing is essential for blood that has dried on fabric, furniture, or walls. The swab must be moistened with a saline solution or water to collect blood effectively.
- Scraping: In cases where blood is dried and stuck on surfaces like floors or walls, forensic technicians might use sterile tools (such as a scalpel or spatula) to carefully scrape the blood into a container.
- Collecting blood from the victim: If the victim’s blood needs to be tested (e.g., to determine blood alcohol level or drugs in the system), blood can be drawn from the body at the scene or later in the morgue, following proper procedures.
- c. Preserving the Samples
- Preserving liquid blood: Once blood samples are collected, they are placed in sterile containers such as vials or tubes with anticoagulant to prevent clotting. The sample is labeled with all necessary identifying information.
- Preserving dried blood: For dried blood, forensic investigators often use a clean cloth or paper and carefully cut around the dried stains to avoid contamination. These samples are placed in paper envelopes or bags to preserve them.
- Environmental control: Blood samples are stored at proper temperatures to avoid degradation. They are also kept in tamper-proof packaging to maintain chain of custody.
4. Packaging and Labeling
Each blood sample is packaged and labeled to ensure proper identification and prevent mix-ups. This includes:
- Case number: Each piece of evidence, including blood samples, is labeled with the case number for tracking.
Date and time of collection: This is crucial, as the time of blood collection can be compared with the victim’s time of death.- Location description: Where exactly the sample was found, such as a specific room, piece of furniture, or surface.
- Collector’s information: The person who collected the blood is noted, which helps maintain the chain of custody.
5. Transporting the Samples
Blood samples are carefully transported from the crime scene to the forensic laboratory. This must be done:
- Under secure conditions, using vehicles that are locked and monitored during transport.
- Without contamination: Blood samples must be stored in secure containers during transport to avoid contamination by other substances.
- Chain of custody: All personnel involved in transporting the samples must sign chain-of-custody documents to maintain the integrity of the evidence.
6. Blood Testing
Once the samples arrive at the forensic laboratory, they are ready to be tested. There are several types of tests that can be conducted, depending on the investigation:
- a. Blood Typing and DNA Analysis
- Blood typing: Initially, blood typing may be conducted to identify the victim’s blood type (A, B, AB, or O), Rh factor (positive or negative). However, blood typing alone is not sufficient for identification in modern investigations.
- DNA testing: DNA profiling is the most critical test for identifying individuals. The blood collected at the scene is tested for unique genetic markers to determine the victim’s or suspect’s DNA. If blood is found at the scene that doesn’t belong to the victim, it could indicate the presence of a suspect.
- b. Toxicology Testing
- Blood alcohol content (BAC): A sample of the victim’s blood is tested for alcohol levels to determine whether intoxication played a role in the crime.
- Drugs: Forensic toxicology tests can reveal the presence of drugs or poisons in the victim’s bloodstream, providing important clues about the events leading up to death.
- c. Blood Spatter Analysis
- Analyzing patterns: Bloodstains left at the crime scene can reveal the nature of the attack. Blood spatter analysis involves studying the size, shape, and distribution of blood droplets to understand how the attack occurred. For example, it can determine if the victim was standing, sitting, or lying down during the assault, and whether the weapon was blunt or sharp.
- d. Preservation of Evidence for Future Testing
- Some samples, such as DNA or blood that might not be needed immediately, are preserved for future testing or re-examination in case new evidence comes to light or more advanced techniques become available.
7. Final Report and Expert Testimony
After the analysis is complete, forensic experts will compile the findings into a detailed report. This report can be used to:
- Support the investigation by providing critical information about the victim, suspect, and the events surrounding the murder.
- Serve as expert testimony in court if the case goes to trial. Blood testing at a murder scene is one of the most significant aspects of forensic science. By carefully collecting and analyzing blood, investigators can uncover the truth about how the crime occurred, who was involved, and sometimes, why the murder was committed. The integrity of the collection and testing process is essential to ensuring the reliability of the results in a legal context.
The process for collecting and testing blood samples at a murder scene typically involves the following steps:
- Scene Preservation: The first step is to preserve the crime scene. This includes securing the area to prevent contamination, and making sure that no one is allowed to enter or leave the scene until the investigation is complete…
See the full 2023 version here.
So? The 2024 offers vastly more detail. It all remains generic procedural pablum you can find on a hundred sites, and nothing new but, as in 2023, I also didn’t have to go looking for it. This type of research is a great tool, if it’s verified with your own research. My concern here is that there is no guarantee of quality or truth to these responses; it’s just what the AI came up with. If the appearance of quality and depth fools people into thinking it’s not worth checking facts, we’re going to end up with some possibly creative, definitely detailed, and probably misleading murder mysteries. There is progress on the quantity of information, but not on the veracity of that information.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Murder Options
PROMPT: What is the most and least common type of murder you know of?
ChatGPT (2024):
The most common and least common types of murder can vary depending on the region and the methods used, but generally, we can discuss these categories on a global scale.
Most Common Type of Murder:
1. Homicides Involving Firearms:
- Firearm-related murders are among the most common types of murder globally, especially in regions with high levels of gun violence. Countries like the United States, where gun ownership is prevalent, see a large number of murders involving firearms. These murders can stem from various causes, including gang violence, domestic disputes, and criminal activities.
- In 2020, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that firearms were used in a substantial percentage of homicides worldwide, with gun-related deaths being particularly high in areas where gang violence is prevalent.
2. Domestic Violence Homicides:
- Intimate partner violence or domestic violence-related murders are also sadly common. These murders often occur in the context of abusive relationships, where one partner kills the other or a family member. Statistics indicate that women are disproportionately the victims in domestic homicide cases.
- This type of murder is common worldwide, with a significant percentage of women being murdered by intimate partners or family members, particularly in societies with high levels of gender inequality.
Least Common Type of Murder:
1. Serial Killings:
- Serial killings, where a person kills multiple victims over time, are among the least common forms of murder. Although they attract significant media attention, serial killings make up a very small percentage of all homicides globally.
- Serial killers often have distinct psychological or behavioral patterns, and the murders are typically committed over a period of time, rather than in one event. Despite their rarity, they tend to be highly publicized, which is why they may seem more common than they are.
2. Mass Murders (Rampage Killings):
- Mass murders involving the killing of a large number of people in a single event (such as school shootings, terrorist attacks, or public massacres) are also rare, although the frequency of these types of killings has unfortunately risen in some countries, particularly in the US.
- These events tend to be particularly shocking and often have a broad media impact, but statistically they are less common compared to other types of homicides.
Summary:
- Most Common: Firearm-related homicides, especially in regions with high rates of gun violence, and domestic violence-related killings.
- Least Common: Serial killings and mass murders, which, despite their media prominence, represent a small fraction of all murders.
- The most common type of murder is homicide, which refers to the killing of one person by another. Homicide can be further classified into several types, including:
- Criminal homicide: This is the most common type of homicide and involves the intentional killing of another person. This includes murder and manslaughter.
- Justifiable homicide: This type of homicide occurs when a person kills another in self-defense or in defense of others.
- Excusable homicide: This type of homicide occurs when a person kills another person due to an accident or mistake.
The least common type of murder is mass murder, which refers to the killing of four or more people in one incident. This type of murder is relatively rare, and typically involves the use of firearms. Mass murders are usually premeditated and are often committed by individuals with a history of mental health issues or a personal grudge against a specific group of people.
It’s important to note that the statistics on the types of murder can vary depending on the location, jurisdiction, and time period and the classification of crime can also be different depending on the legal system.
So? This is far better than the 2023 version, once again providing more detail, but suffers from the same intentional flaw; this is about the real world, not fiction. So let’s try that again…
ChatGPT Writes Murder–More Killer Options
PROMPT: Sorry, I asked that incorrectly. I meant to ask, in fiction, [what] means of murder (e.g., gun, stabbing) is most common, and which means is least common?
ChatGPT (2024):
Ah, in fiction, the means of murder varies widely depending on the genre, but we can identify some trends:
Most Common Means of Murder in Fiction
- Gunfire (Shooting)
- Guns are a staple in crime and thriller genres. They’re straightforward, accessible, and leave room for dramatic reveals (e.g., “Whodunit?”).
- Examples: Detective stories like Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders or action thrillers.
- Guns are often chosen for their efficiency and ability to escalate tension quickly.
- Stabbing (Knives or Sharp Objects)
- Stabbings are highly personal and visceral, making them common in dramas or horror.
- Knives often symbolize betrayal or intimacy in stories, which adds emotional weight.
- Examples: Psycho‘s infamous shower scene or numerous slasher films.
Least Common Means of Murder in Fiction
- Exotic or Unusual Methods
- Methods like poisoning with rare substances, elaborate traps, or unique devices are much rarer and often tied to very specific plotlines or characters (e.g., an assassin or mastermind).
- Examples:
- Death by piano wire trap in spy novels.
- Death by bee sting in Agatha Christie’s Poirot series (Death in the Clouds).
- Unintentional or Accidental Murders
- Some fictional deaths occur via unconventional means like falling off cliffs, choking on food, or being crushed by objects. While dramatic, they’re usually part of comedies or quirky mysteries rather than standard murder plots.
Genre-Specific Notes
- Mystery/Whodunit: Poisoning and stabbing are common, as they require investigation and motive analysis.
- Horror/Slasher: Axes, chainsaws, or improvised tools dominate.
- Espionage/Thriller: Exotic methods like cyanide pills or elaborate plots tend to appear.
ChatGPT (2023):
In fiction, the most common means of murder is through the use of a gun. Guns are often used in crime fiction and thrillers, as they provide a quick and efficient way to kill someone. They are also relatively easy to obtain [assume US training?], making them a popular choice for fictional killers..
See the full 2023 version here.
So? The additional detail in the 2024 version includes references to books and movies that are incredibly helpful. A focus on genre tropes is also new, and much appreciated. In this case, the added words are worth it, and this is a big improvement overall.
ChatGPT Writes Murder–Back to Robot Lasers!
Can ChatGPT build on what it’s already written? I couldn’t do this specific prompt comparison for the aforementioned content-limitation reasons, so here is the 2023 version. Skip forward to see what I asked instead.
PROMPT (2023): Returning to the story of the boy sliced up by robot lasers, above, write a second story about how his parents seek revenge against the company that killed their son.
ChatGPT (2023):
The parents of the child were devastated when they received the news of their child’s death. They couldn’t believe that something as advanced as a robot laser could be used to kill their innocent child. They were determined to find out who was responsible for their child’s death and make them pay….
See the full version here.
ChatGPT Writes Murder– Bringing it All Together
This was an attempt to bring all the prior inputs and chats together to create one final story. The 2023 version was about laser robots and such, but I couldn’t do that for obvious reasons, so the prompt has changed substantially.
PROMPT (2024): Based on the discussions above and the closed-room murder story, please write another version of that story in the style of Raymond Chandler, with dark / noir language, where the young boy (now named Theon) is killed by the a serial killer, but using as few cliches as possible. Some context you can use or not based on what’s best for the story: during the murder, it’s raining outside and cold, but the apartment is spartan and clean; the family is upper-middle class but not materialistic; and the serial killer is known to the police but has never been arrested. Please provide approximately 750 words with detail, some character description, and a profound closing quote by the lead detective.
ChatGPT (2024):
The rain fell like the sky was wringing its hands, unsure whether to flood the gutters or just keep sobbing. Detective Marshall Kane stood in the small, spartan apartment, a faint trace of soap in the air. It was cleaner than most crime scenes he’d worked, almost unnervingly so. The boy’s body was still in his bed, small and pale beneath the dull light of the single overhead bulb.
Theon. Ten years old, a tuft of sandy hair clinging to his forehead, eyes closed as if in sleep. But Kane had seen enough death to know the difference. There was a precision to this kind of killing, a clinical neatness that made his skin crawl. The boy had been suffocated—no blood, no bruises, just the faint outline of a hand on his neck and the stillness of an extinguished life.
Kane pulled his trench coat tighter against the cold seeping through the cracked window. The family was well-off, but not flashy. A secondhand coffee table with a scratched surface sat in the living room, paired with a couch that had seen better days. No flashy trophies or garish furniture—just the practical comforts of people who cared more about each other than about what the neighbors thought.
The boy’s father, Paul Merritt, was slumped at the kitchen table, his face in his hands. His wife sat next to him, her face a mask of shock, hands gripping a tissue that had long since lost the fight against her tears. Kane didn’t want to disturb them yet; the shock had to settle before the questions came.
Instead, he turned his attention back to the bedroom. The rain tapped insistently on the windowpane, a reminder of the world outside, oblivious to the horror inside.
The killer had left nothing behind. No sign of forced entry, no scuff marks on the floor, not even a fingerprint. Kane knew this one. They called him “The Caretaker” in the precinct. A name that made Kane’s jaw clench every time he heard it, too clean, too neat, just like the crime scenes.
This was the fourth child. Always the same precision, the same sterile method. Suffocation, no weapon left behind, no sign of struggle. Each time, the killer chose a family like the Merritts—solid, ordinary, quietly content. It was like he was mocking them, carving his absence into the spaces they’d worked so hard to fill with love and stability.
Sergeant Callahan walked in, shaking the rain off his coat. His face was pale beneath the fluorescent lights.
“No prints, no witnesses. Just the same damn ghost act.” He handed Kane a file. “Neighbors didn’t see anyone, didn’t hear anything. One said they thought they saw a shadow in the rain, but nothing concrete. The parents were at a work dinner; Theon had a babysitter, but she’s missing. Her name’s in the file.”
Kane flipped through the pages, his eyes catching on the babysitter’s name: Erin Vance. Eighteen, a local college student, no criminal record. Her purse was still by the door, her umbrella in the stand. It didn’t sit right. The Caretaker never took anyone with him—his MO was the clean break, in and out.
“Have the forensics team dust everything, even the ceilings if they have to,” Kane muttered. “And find the girl. Missing isn’t dead, not yet.”
Callahan hesitated. “You think she’s involved?”
Kane shrugged, his expression grim. “I think she’s alive or she’s a message. Either way, she’s the only lead we’ve got.”
He turned back to the bedroom, studying the boy’s peaceful face. Theon’s bed was tucked neatly into the corner, his books stacked on a small shelf beside it. On the wall hung a single picture, drawn in crayon—a family of three, smiling in a sunlit park.
Kane’s fists tightened in his pockets. The world didn’t deserve kids like Theon, not anymore. The kid had probably fallen asleep thinking he was safe, dreaming about heroes and stars and things that didn’t exist. And then the Caretaker had come, quiet and sure, and taken it all away.
The rain outside turned to sleet, hissing against the window. Kane stared down at the boy, the cold wrapping around him like a second coat. He thought about the parents in the next room, sitting in the wreckage of their lives. He thought about Erin Vance, gone somewhere into the night. And he thought about The Caretaker, out there somewhere, watching the rain fall like nothing had happened.
“This guy’s not just killing kids, Callahan,” Kane said finally, his voice low. “He’s killing families. He’s killing hope. And that’s the cruelest kind of murder there is.”
Callahan nodded, his face pale. “So what do we do?”
Kane’s eyes didn’t leave Theon’s face. “We find him,” he said, the words like iron. “And we make sure he never does it again. Hope’s got to mean something. Even if it’s just one more kid who gets to dream a little longer.”
So? I’ve got to admit, while this is full of cliches and purple prose, that’s exactly what I asked for by using Raymond Chandler as an analog, and the result isn’t bad (as imitation). I have no idea if all of this is original or might have been copied from prior writing during the AI training process, and neither would an author using this for brainstorming or writing–unless they did a lot of additional research. Still, the 2024 version is getting close enough to being usable as original writing to be a little spooky.
Is ChatGPT a Threat to Writers in 2024?
Yes, or pretty close. It’s not a threat to great writing or original plotting, but it’s most definitely a problem for the lower-end of the market, where what’s expected is more adherence to genre tropes and simple writing than great character development and intricate plot twists. We’ll see more and more AI-generated books this year, and while most will be utter rubbish, some will find an audience–and that audience won’t be buying as many human-authored books anymore.
Pros of ChatGPT for Murder Mystery Writers (2024)
- Good for brainstorming and playing with ideas
- Good for research, though everything needs to be verified, and local / contextual details might be lacking
- Much less cliched than in 2023
- Much more detailed than in 2023
- As always, a lot of fun.
- Freaking fast.
Cons of ChatGPT for Murder Mystery Writers (2024)
- No real original ideas, which (as with blurbs), is what you’d expect
- Makes serious and repeated factual mistakes in original prose, and possibly also in research
- Can’t help the cliches and tropes, so writing is generic at best
- Probably going to start costing writers and others their jobs and livelihood in the near future, but only in a small way this year. That said, the threat is growing.
- See AI Will Make Human Novels Obsolete.
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